76 What are na ,Sign; PART II. of the Hebrews. But how different a Thing is this, from trufling in God without fpiritual Sight, and being at the fame Time in a dead and carnal Frame i There is allo fuch a Thing as fpiritual Light's being let into theSoul in one Way, when it is not in another ; and to there is fuch a Thing as the Saints trufling in God, and allo knowing their good Efface, when they are deffitute of fome Kinds of Experience. As for In- ffance, they may have clear Views of God's Sufficiency and Faith- fulnefs, and fo confidently trufl in him, and know that they are his Children ; and at the farne Time, not have thofe clear and fweet Ideas of his Love, as at other Times : For it was thus with Chrift himfelf in his laff Pafiîon. And they may have Views of much of God's Sovereignty, Holinefs and Alfu4liciency, enabling them quietly to fubmit to him, and exercife a fweet and moft encouraging Hope in God's Fulnefs, when they are not fatisfy'd of their Own good Effate. But how different Things are thefe, from confidently trufling inGod, without fpiritual Light or Experience ! Thofe that thus infìff on Perfons living by Faith, when they have no Experience, and are in very bad Frames, are alto very abfurd in their Notions of Faith. What they mean by Faith is, believing that they are in a good Effate. Hence they count it a dreadful Sin for them to doubt of their State, whatever Frames they are in, and what- ever wicked Things they do, becaufe 'tis the great and heinous Sin of Unbelief; and he is the beff Man, and puts rnoff Honour upon God, that maintains his Hope of his good Effate the moff confidently and immoveably, when he has the leaff Light or Experience ; that is to fay, when he is in the worff and wickedeff Frame andWay; becaufe, forfooth, that is a Sign that he is firong in Faith, giving Glory to God, and againff Hope believes in Hope. But what Bible do they learn this Notion of Faith out of, that it is a Man's confidently be- lieving that he is in a good Effate ? * If this be faith, the Pharifees " Men don't know that they are godly,.by believing that they are godly. We know many Things by Faith, Heb. i r. 3. CG By Faith we under/?and that the Gt órlds were made by the Word " of God. Faith is the Evidence of Things not fees ; Heb. " i s. i. Thus Men know the Trinity of Perfons of theGod- " head ; that Jefus Chrifi is the Son of God ; that he that be- " lieves in him will have eternal Life ; the Refurredion of the " Dead. And if God fhould tell a Saint that he bath Grace, ,c he might know it by believing the Word of God. But it is " not this Way, that godlyMen do know that they haveGrace. " It is not revealed in the Word ; and the Spirit of God Both " not teffify it to particular Perfons ". Stoddard's Nature of Lying Converfion, p. 83, 84.. had
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